A wire electric discharge machine generates an electric discharge by applying a pulse voltage between a wire electrode that is laid in a tensioned state between upper and lower wire-electrode guide units, and a workpiece and machines the workpiece into an arbitrary shape as by a jig saw while relatively moving the workpiece and the upper and lower wire-electrode guide units.
At the time of a wire electrode connection operation or wire electrode breakage handling during machining by the wire electric discharge machine, a wire electrode needs to be cut and removed, and removal of the wire electrode is performed by a technology described in any of Patent Literatures 1 to 5, for example.